Try Ubuntu, need a terminal

[nintendo.joe.fareb]

I hava a Ubuntu disc, and I can't install it because the hard drive is broken. However, when I click the Try Ubuntu button I only get the desktop background and a mouse cursor, nothing else, so I can't do anything and need to reboot.
The only thing I can do is open firefox by clicking the release notes link in the Try/Install window. However, I need to install something from the internet (only temperarily), and I have downloaded it and installed it with the software centre, however I can't open it. Is there any way to get into a terminal or anything, so I can do stuff?

[Lars Noodén]

You should be able to get a terminal on the Live DVD by pressing ctrl-alt-t. Then you can use sudo to run apt-get to install your packages inside the live session. Be sure to run apt-get update first.

[nintendo.joe.fareb]

ctrl-alt-t doesn't seem to be doing anything.
I've already installed the software I want, but I can't open it.

[Lars Noodén]

Ok.

What about the "Dash"? It should be at the top left of the screen on the icon bar. Press that and start writing the name of the program you installed. If you can't find the right name, click on the icon at the bottom of the Dash that looks vaguely like an "A" It should be second from the left. Then go to the second row, where it shows "installed" applications and choose more results to see everything.

[nintendo.joe.fareb]

The dash isn't there because I haven't clicked "install Ubuntu" ot "try Ubuntu" yet; I can't install because the hard drive is broken, and I for some reason Try crashes the computer displaying nothing but he desktop image and the mouse cursor.
I can get Firefox open, and I can get Software Centre open, but nothing else. Can I open stuff through the software centre?
The super button doesn't do anything either.
Also the printscreen button doesn't seem to do anything so it's hard to show you what I mean.

[Warped Trekker]

Fix your hard drive first before doing anything else.